Material handling system



Aug- 12, 1941- R. A. FoREsMAN MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 16, 1940 mm rN mn... mu 5 .l @www 0m: 0M 01V ,E o` n. l In: V ||wm\\ Ww... E m.. f a 0 Patented Aug. 12, 1941 MATERIAL HANDLINGSYSTEM Robert A. Foresman, Prospect Park, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa.,. a corporation of Pennsylvania Application'January 16, 1940, Serial No. 314,130

` (C1. 3oz-44) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to material handling apparatus, for example, a slag sluicing system, and has for an object the provision of a common sluicing system for a plurality of material storage pits. 1

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sluicing system vfor a plurality of ash or slag pits, and` so constructed and arranged as to provide a, closed system for each pit as it is flushed. i

Yet another object of the invention is the provision in a sluicing system, of a plurality of Y members, each Y member containing a apper valve which is adapted to be positioned automatically by the flow of material therepast.

A further object of the invention is the pro Vision of an ash or slag sluicing system so designed and arran ed as to provide for minimum wear and abrasio of the conduits thereof.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an application of the invention to a series of ash pits; and,

Fig. 2 is'an enlarged sectional View of one of the Y members shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, u

there is shown, in Fig. 1, a plurality of ash storage `pits I adapted to receive ash and other refuse from the discharge ends of a plurality of stokers II associated therewith. Preferably,

means, such as the rolls I2 and I3, are provided for reducing to suitable size ,any large pieces of ash or other refuse. Water is supplied to the ash pits in any desired manner, as by means of the conduits I4 and the openings I5 in the hollow wall members I6, for mixing with the ash, such a mixture of water and ash providing for maximum ease of handling and disposal of said ash. If desired, additional means, such as the jets I1, may be provided for creating a mixture of ash and water and for aiding in the discharge of the ash from the pits.

Each of the pits Ill is provided with an ash and water discharge outlet I8 communicating with a common discharge conduit I9. In the embodiment herein illustrated, the conduit I9 is provided with a vertical extension 20 whereby ash and Water may be discharged into a raised storage hopper 2| supported by a frame 22. Water may be drained from the ash in the hopper 2| and the ash discharged directly into Vehicles (not shown) for transportation.

The main conduit I9 is comprised by a plurality of sections 23, 24' and 25,-thelatter sections being in the form of Y members, each comprised by a stem 26 and'branches 2'I and 28. y

Each branch 21 is connected to the adjacent section 23 and each branch 28 is connected by the sections 29 and 30 with the discharge outlet I8 of oneof the series of pits.

' Ejector mechanism 32 is associated with each discharge outletli and is supplied with iluid through-the conduit 33, said supply being controlled bythe valve 311.` Preferably, each section 3'is in the formof a diffuser; and as such cooperates with the vejector mechanism 32 in removing the mixture of ash and `Water from the pit I0 and its dischargeconnection I8.

Each Y member 25 is provided with a ilapper valve 36 pivotally mounted therein, as at 31, and adapted to be positioned between a iirst limit, shown in dot and dash lines at 38 in Fig. 2, and a second limit, shown in dot and dash lines at 39. Under certain operating conditions, it is desirable to provide means, such as the handle 40, for manually adjusting the position of the valve 36. Under such conditions, assuming that the middle one of the three ash pits I0 is to be emptied, the valve 36 associated with the lefthand ash pit would be adjusted to the upper position 39 and the valve 36 associated with the central pit to be flushed would be in the lower position 38. With this valve arrangement and the jet valve 34 for the central pit opened, the ash and water from said pit will be carried along the conduits 30, 29, 28, 26, 24 and 23 to the vertical section 20 and thence to the storage hopper 2| It will be apparent that, with the intermediate valve 36 in its lower position 38, backing up of ash and uid in the main conduit I9 in a direction away from the outlet thereof is prevented.

Under other operating conditions, it may be desirable to have entirely automatic operation of all of the valves 36, in which case the handles 40 thereof may be omitted. Under such conditions, the flapper valves 36 will be positioned automtatically by the flow of ash and water therepas In order to provide as streamlined a construction as possible, with the object of avoiding undue wear and abrasion of the conduits, such as would take place at relatively sharp turns, the branches of each Y are symmetrically disposed relative to the stem and the main sections 23 of the conduit I9 are disposed with their longitudinal centerlines approximately aligned with the centers of the branches 21 of the Y members. In this manner, relatively sharp turns in the direction of the flow of material are avoided.

In order to provide constant velocity at all points in the iiow path of the mixture through the main conduit, each Y member and its valve are so designed that the open passage at the valve, when the latter is at either limit of its movement, has a cross-sectional area substantially equal to the corresponding area at any other point along the conduit or in either branch of the Y members.

While I have shown the invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A material handling system for a series of storage pits containing a mixture of material and water, comprising a discharge connection for eachof said pits, a sectional main discharge conduit including a plurality of Y members each having its stem and one branch constituting a section of said main conduit, means providing communication between the other branch of each Y member and one of said discharge connections, ejector mechanism associated with each pit for moving the mixture from said pit to and along the mainV conduit, and a valve part pivotally mounted within each Y member and adapted to be automatically positioned, between first and second limits of movement, by the flow of said mixture therepast.

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2. A structure as specified in claim 1, including means independent of the main conduit for supplying uid to the ejector mechanism.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal centerline of the main conduit coincides approximately with the centerline of .the said one branch of each Y member.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, wherein the two branches of each Y member are symmetrically disposed relative to the stem thereof.

5. A structure as specied in claim l, wherein the flow path of the material through the main conduit, including the Y members and their branches, is of substantially uniform cross-sectional area throughout its length.

6. In an ash sluicing system, a plurality of ash pits, an ash discharge connection for each of said pits, a main ash-carrying conduit comprised by sections and including a plurality of Y members each having its stem and one branch constituting a section of said main conduit, means providing communication between the other branch of each Y member and one of said ash discharge connections, ejector mechanism associated with each ash pit for moving ash from said pit to and along the main conduit, means independent of said main conduit for supplying uid to said ejector mechanism, and a valve withineach Y member and adjustable between rst and second limits, said valve, when at said rst limit, closing said one branch of the Y member and providing for passage of ash and ejector fluid through said other branch of the Y member to the main conduit, and when at said second limit, closing said other branch of the Y member and providing for iiow of ash and ejector fluid therepast along said main conduit from a pit and ejector located upstream from sai-d Y member.

ROBERT A. FORESMAN. 

